Fishes of Cedar Creek and the South Pork of the Cottonwood River, Chase County,

FRANK B. CROSS , Lawrence

The smaller streams of the Region in east-central Kansas are inhabited by fishes of both the Plains and the Ozarkian faunas. Species collected from two of these streams, the South Fork of the Cottonwood River and Cedar Creek, are discussed in this paper. Cedar Creek and the South Fork flow northward through Chase County into the Cottonwood River, a tributary of the Neosho (Grand) River, which is fed by streams from the western slope of the Ozark uplift before emptying into the Ar- in . Several kinds of fishes which are primarily Ozarkian in their distributions have used the as an avenue of westward dispersal onto the plains. The extent of their penetration is, in most cases, little known—a fact which lends interest to ichthyofaunal studies of the Flint Hills. The known ranges of some species are extended somewhat beyond previously-recorded western limits in this report.

The South Fork seems to harbor a higher proportion of Ozark fishes than do most streams of the Flint Hills, probably because of its permanent flow, its relatively high gradient, its numerous rocky riffles, and other physical similarities to Ozark streams. Also the South Fork seems to be one of the best small fishing-streams in Kansas, especially for the spotted bass, Micro pterus punctulatus Rafinesque. The high bass-population is supported by an abundance of forage fishes, mostly minnows, and cray- fish, Orconectes nais (Faxon). At several collecting stations hundreds of crayfish were seined on the shaly riffles. Statements in this paragraph apply also to Cedar Creek, but to a lesser degree. The list of fishes presented herein is based chiefly upon collections from 12 localities, nine in the South Fork and three in Cedar Creek. The collections were made by the writer and Robert L. Carpenter, a student of zoology at the University of Kansas, in August, 1952. These records are supplemented by others from an additional collection in the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, and collections in the Kansas State College Museum of Zoology that have previously been reported by Jen- nings (1942). The specimens cited by Jennings, which I have re-examin- ed recently, were obtained from Rock Creek by I. D. Graham. Some were

Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, Vol. 57, No. 3, 1954. [303] 304 The Kansas Academy of Science taken in August, 1885, and others are undated. The latter probably were taken before 1885.

DESCRIPTION OF HABITAT The South Fork originates (as Thurman Creek) at an elevation of 1500 feet in Butler County, Kansas, and flows along a relatively straight course northward through the Kansas-Oklahoma Bluestem Region for 35 miles to its junction with the Cottonwood River near Cottonwood Falls, Chase County. Its headwaters consist of three major branches—Thurman Creek (11 miles long), Mercer Creek (seven miles long), and Little Cedar Creek ( 10 miles long)—which have their confluence near Matfield Green, 24.3 miles above the mouth of the South Fork. The other principal tribu- tary is Rock Creek, which is about 12 miles long and enters the South Fork from the west near Bazaar, approximately 12 miles above the mouth of the South Fork. The gradients of these four tributaries vary from 16 feet per mile in Rock Creek to 30 feet per mile in Mercer Creek. The upper, steeper extremities of the tributaries are intermittent, however, so that the gradients of the flowing streams are less than the figures given except during rainy periods. The gradient of the South Fork between Matfield Green and Bazaar is seven feet per mile, and from Bazaar to the mouth it is five feet per mile. The lengths and gradients of streams were determined by use of a cartometer from maps made by the State Geological Survey of Kansas and the U.S. Geological Survey. Cedar Creek is approximately 27 miles long, and lies entirely within Chase County. Three branches make up its headwaters. One retains the name Cedar Creek (12 miles long), one is called Middle Creek (seven miles long) and one is called Bill's Creek (seven miles long). Another major tributary, Coon Creek, is 11 miles long and enters Cedar Creek 2.2 miles above its confluence with the Cottonwood River. The gradient of Bill's Creek and Middle Creek is 22 feet per mile, that of Coon Creek is 16.5 feet per mile, and that of Cedar Creek above the mouths of Bill's Creek and Middle Creek is 14 feet per mile. Below the junction of the three upper tributaries the gradient of Cedar Crek is 5.5 feet per mile. The South Fork cuts through rock formations of the Council Grove and Chase groups (Florence flint and Fort Riley on the higher uplands, Cottonwood limestone, Neva limestone, and several mem- bers). Cedar Creek is almost entirely within the Chase group, with a sec- tion of the Sumner group on a part of the uplands (Fort Riley limestone, Florence flint, Herington limestone, and other members). Much of the drainage area of the two streams is covered by virgin bluestem pasture-land. A few of the smaller tributaries, especially those Fishes of Cedar Creek and South Fork of Cottonwood River 305 on the east side of the South Fork, drain grassland exclusively. Alluvial bottomlands in the South Fork basin, and a larger proportion of the Cedar Creek basin, are cultivated, with corn, alfalfa, sorghums, and small grains being the principal crops. All of the streams have a well-developed fringe-forest of elm, oak, hackberry, walnut, locust, willow, hickory, buckeye, redbud, and other species, which provides excellent streamside cover. Non-planktonic vegetation is sparse or absent, except at Station 6 on the South Fork, where a shallow bed-rock bottom was covered with fila- mentous algae, and Station 3 on Cedar Creek, where a dense stand of smartweed (Polygonum) grew on an exposed shore and extended several feet into the water. Stream banks were of two types at the time our collections were made: either steep, muddy, and undercut, with exposed roots of trees projecting into the water, or gently-sloping, barren bars of gravel, rubble, and broken shale. Because of a recent drought, streams of the South Fork system oc- cupied only about half the width of their channels. Stream-bottoms in the South Fork are composed mostly of angular gravel and rubble of cherty limestone and shale, with some smooth lime- stone or shale bedrock in the swifter sections, and mud in the deeper pools. Even the mud bottoms are firm, of fine-textured, tight, gray clay. Most pools contain limestone boulders which inhibit seining to some ex- tent. Cedar Creek has bottom components similar to those of the South Fork, but they occur in different proportions. Mud bottoms predominate, and the streams have narrower, deeper channels which are occupied more completely during dry periods. The ratio of riffles to pools is not nearly so great in Cedar Creek as in the South Fork. Turbidity was slight in both streams at the time of our survey, al- though there were enough suspended soil particles to impart a gray cast to the water in the deeper pools. Increased plankton development also re- duced water-clarity in the lower parts of the streams. Some of the smaller, spring-fed tributaries were so clear that their fishes could be seined effec- tively only after wading through the pools two or three times, stirring sediments on the bottom and muddying the water.

COLLECTING STATIONS South Fork 1. South Fork and Cottonwood River at mouth of South Fork, Secs. 36 and 25, T. 19 S., R. 8 E. Two collections, Aug. 12 (1:30-5:00 p.m.) and Aug. 14 (9:30-11:30 p.m.). A quiet pool three feet deep and

nearly y4 mi. long at mouth of South Fork, and two riffles (rubble and shale) at upstream end of this pool. Flow over riffles two ft./sec., six in.- 306 The Kansas Academy of Science one ft. deep. Also a strong riffle, flowing about six ft./sec. and averaging

21/2 feet deep, in Cottonwood River directly opposite mouth of South Fork. 2. South Fork below mouth of Rock Creek, Sec. 33, T. 20 S, R. 8 E. Aug. 14 (9:30-11:00 a.m.). Several riffles with maximum depths of three feet—the deepest riffles found at any station—and deep pools. More bedrock (in riffles) and mud (in pools) than at other stations. A spot favored by anglers. Temperatures (11:00 a.m.) : air 87°F., water 80°F. 3. Rock Creek, Sec. 32, T. 20 S, R. 8 E. Two collections, Oct. 7, 1951 (12:50-2:10 p.m.) and Aug. 13, 1952 (9:00-10:15 p.m.). Water barely flowing on latter date, about 18 inches lower than in Oct. 1951. Gradient steep, bottom rough, large cherty rubble on riffles. Channel braided by many exposed, rocky bars overgrown with willows. 4. South Fork at mouth of Baker Creek, Sec. 18, T. 21 S, R. 8 E. Aug. 14, 1952 (5:30-7:00 p.m.). Stream bed especially wide with broad exposed rubble bars. Several short rubble-gravel riffles, short pools with steep mud banks and bottoms. Temperatures (7:00 p.m.) : air 89°F., water 84°F. 5. Sharps Creek, Sec. 22, T. 21 S, R. 8 E. Aug. 14, 1952 (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon). Small stream, average width 15 feet, riffles small and shallow, width six ft., depth two-six inches. Much limestone bedrock and many boulders. A spring-run tributary at this site, barely large enough to contain fishes. Temperatures (12 noon) : air 89°F., pool in mainstream 79°F., spring tributary 69°F. 6. South Fork, Sec. 5 and 8, T. 22 S, R. 8 E. Aug. 13, 1952 (9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.). Flow slight over gravel-rubble riffles with average width of 15 ft. and depth of two-four inches. Pools with bedrock and mud bot- toms, depths to six ft., one with average depth of 31/2 ft. Broad, exposed gravel bars on riffles, pools with undercut mud banks overhung by willows. 7. Mercer Creek, Sec. 7, T. 22 S, R. 8 E. Aug. 14, 1952 (2:30- 1 4:30 p.m.). Quiet pools only, maximum depth 51/2 ft., average 2/2 ft. Bottom gravel and rubble, more uniform than at other stations. Water exceptionally clear. Temperatures (4:30 p.m.) : air 95°F., water 77°F. 8. Mercer Creek, Sec. 18, T. 22 S, R. 8 E. Aug. 13, 1952 (2:30- 4:30 p.m.). Slight flow initiated by a small spring at this site. Rubble 1 riffles two-five ft. wide and two-four in. deep. A large pool 4/2 ft. deep, below spring, and several large, isolated pools with maximum depths of five feet above spring. Temperatures (4:30 p.m.) : air 88°F., water in riffle at spring outlet 72°F., in pool below spring 77°F. Fishes of Cedar Creek and South Fork of Cottonwood River 307

Cedar Creek System 1. Coon Creek, Sec. 8, T. 21 S, R. 6 E. Aug. 15, 1952 (10:30-11:30 a.m.). Several shallow (two-six inch depth) riffles and a few small, shallow, rocky pools. Banks steep and muddy, bottom mostly mud and slate rocks. Two springs discharging into mainstream. Temperatures (11:30 a.m.) : air 90°F., pools 76°F., spring outlets 62°F. Elsewhere Coon Creek consists chiefly of a series of deep, muddy pools. 2. Cedar Creek, Sec. 20. T. 21 S, R. 6 E. and Sec. 25 T. 21 S, R. 5 E. Aug. 15, 1952 (1:30-2:30 p.m.). A strong riffle and a deep (five ft. maximum depth) pool. Water murky. Bottom rubble and shale frag- ments, but predominantly bedrock when stream is high. Banks precipitous, undercut in restricted sections. Evidence on shore of intensive fishing at this site. 3. Middle Creek, Sec. 8, T. 22 S, R. 6 E. Aug. 15, 1952 (3:00- 4:30 p.m.). One rubble riffle approximately 25 ft. long, four feet wide, and 4 inches deep, separating two long pools with maximum depth of six feet, average depth two feet, average width 25 ft. Bottom and banks al- most entirely mud. Streamside cover good: narrow fringe-forest; dense stands of Polygonum growing at edge of water. Cultivated fields border- ing fringe-forest at this station, as along most of the streams of the Cedar Creek drainage. Temperatures (4:30 p.m.) : air 94°F., water 78°F. ANNOTATED LIST OF SPECIES Lepisosteidae Lepisosteus osseus oxyurus Rafinesque: longnose gar. So. Fk. sta. 1. Scarce. Catostomidae Car piodes carpio carpio (Rafinesque): northern carpsucker. So. Fk. sta. 1. Juvenal carpsuckers were numerous in the quiet pool at the mouth of the South Fork, but none of the deep-bodied suckers was found elsewhere in the South Fork or Cedar Creek systems, perhaps be- cause of the unusually low level at the time these collections were made. Probably this species and one of two of the buffalofishes (genus Ictiobus) invade the South Fork when its flow is greater. Moxostoma erythrurum (Rafinesque) : golden redhorse. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8; Cedar Cr. sta. 2, 3. Young-of-the-year 32-56 mm. in standard length (average total length 21/4 inches) were abundant at most stations, and adults were common in the larger pools, as at sta. 7 (Mercer Creek). Moxostoma aureolum pisolabrum Trautman: northern redhorse. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 4, 7; Cedar Cr. sta. 2, 3. Juveniles and small adults 308 The Kansas Academy of Science were taken with the golden redhorse, but were far outnumbered by the latter species. Specimens of M. a. pisolabrum as small as 40 mm. in stand- ard length are readily recognizable on the basis of lip structure. Minytrema melanops (Rafinesque) : spotted sucker. Jennings (1942). Three adults (K.S.C. No. 2843). Cyprinidae Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus: carp. So. Fk. sta. 1. Although we found carp only at the mouth of the South Fork, fishermen state that they catch them frequently at our sta. 2 and elsewhere in the South Fork. Semotilus atromaculatus atromaculatus (Mitchill) : creek chub. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 5; Cedar Cr. sta. 1. In the Arkansas River System the creek chub seems to occur only in clear, spring-fed streams, although in adjacent sections of the Missouri River drainage it is often found in slug- gish, intermittent tributaries and, less abundantly, in muddy rivers. The creek chub was common, and was the dominant species, in the cold spring- tributary at So. Fk. sta. 5, but was rare at the other stations from which it is reported. Hybopsis biguttata (Kirtland) : hornyhead chub. So. Fk. sta. 3, 6, 7, 8; Cedar Cr. sta. 1, 3. Jennings (1942). Though rare in the South Fork, this species was common, especially as juveniles, in Cedar Creek. Hybopsis species. So. Fk. sta. 1. This fish, which bears distinctive X-markings on its sides, is an undescribed species being studied by C. L. Hubbs and Walter Crowe. It has been called Hybopsis (Erimystax) dissimilis, a name pro- perly applied to another, closely-related species occurring east of the Missi- ssippi River. The species which occurs in the Neosho River System lives in fast riffles, and was taken only in the Cottonwood River at the mouth of the South Fork. Probably this species occupies the South Fork when that stream carries more water than it did at the time our survey was made. Phenacobius mirabilis (Girard) : plains suckermouth minnow. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6; Cedar Cr. sta. 1", 2, 3. Common, especially in riffles. Notropis rubella (Agassiz) : rosyface shiner. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7; Cedar Cr. sta. 2, 3. This is the undes- cribed southern representative of the rosyface shiner, discussed by Hubbs (1945) and Moore and Paden (1950). It is abundant in the South Fork, and is one of those fishes which are primarily associated with the Ozarkian fauna, rather than with the fauna of the plains. Eli hes of Cedar Creek and South Fork of Cottonwood River 309

Notropis umbratilis umbratilis (Girard) : redf in shiner. So. Fk. sta. 7; Cedar Cr. sta. 1, 2, 3. The redfin shiner is rare in the South Fork, but fairly common in Cedar Creek. It inhabits the deeper pools. Notropis zonata pilsbryi Fowler: striped shiner. All stations. This is the most abundant species in both streams. Cragin (1885:108) listed N. zonata from the "Osage River. . . .to the North Platte" and Graham (1885:74) reported it -from branches of the Missouri, and the Neosho River". I suspect that their listings of it in the Missouri River drainage of Kansas were hypothetical, perhaps induced by the fact that the type locality was designated by Agassiz as the "Osage River", a stream originating in Kansas and discharging into the Missouri River in central Missouri. The only published record from Kansas which cites specimens and exact locality is that of Hubbs and Moore (1940:94), who reported N. z. pilsbryi from a creek below Jack Spring, in the drainage of the South Fork of the Cottonwood. The range of the species, as de- limited by Hubbs and Moore (1940), is almost confined to the Ozark Upland, and the westernmost locality listed from the Osage System is rather far removed from Kansas. If zonata does occur (or occurred in Graham's time) in the upper Osage System, it must have been represented there by the typical subspecies rather than pilsbryi. I have failed to obtain it in several recent collections in the Marais des Cygnes, Marmaton, and other Osage tributaries in Kansas. A few adult males from South Fork stations 6, 7 and 8 still bore tubercles and traces of the red breeding coloration, indicating that they had recently completed spawning, whereas adults taken farther downstream displayed no spawning development. Jennings (1942) reported N. cornuta frontalis (Agassiz) (six speci- mens, K.S.C. No. 2755) from Rock Creek, but these specimens prove on re-examination to be N. zonata pilsbryi. Thus N. cornuta is removed from the list of species known from the South Fork. Notropis camura (Jordan and Meek) : bluntface shiner So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7. The bluntface shiner is common in the South Fork but seems to be absent from Cedar Creek. The species prefers moderately fast, clear water. Several adult males still bore breeding tubercles. Notropis lutrensis lutrensis (Baird and Girard) : red shiner. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6; Cedar Cr. sta. 1, 2, 3. The red shiner, which is the dominant minnow in most creeks on the plains, was common only at sta. 1 in the South Fork. Its progressive decline in abundance 310 The Kansas Academy of Science at stations farther upstream in the South Fork seemed to be correlated inversely with the increased abundance of N. camura. Notropis deliciosa (Girard) : sand shiner. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7; Cedar Cr. sta. 1, 2, 3. Two subspecies of N. deliciosa are known from Kansas, one of which occurs in the Marais des Cygnes River System and seems to be inseparable from N. d. deliciosa of Texas and the Red River drainage of Oklahoma, and another, N. d. missuriensis, which occurs in the Kansas and Arkansas river systems. N. d. deliciosa has 21 to 27 (most often 24) rows of scales around the body, and usually has 14 to 16 predorsal scales. The predorsal scales are uniformly large and are distinctly outlined by melanophores. N. d. mis- suriensis has 24 to 37 (most often 27 or 28) scale-rows around the body and usually has 17 to 19 predorsal scales. The predorsal scales tend to be small and crowded, especially anteriorly, and they are indistinctly outlined by melanophores, which makes the enumeration of the scales more difficult than in N. d. deliciosa. Specimens of the sand shiner from the South Fork and Cedar Creek, like numerous others in the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History from the Neosho River System, resemble N. d. deliciosa in the number and pigmentation of the predorsal scales, but have an intermediate number (24-28, ave. 25.2) of scales around the body. These specimens are regarded, ten- tatively, as intergrades, Notropis deliciosa: deliciosa X missuriensis. The sand shiner is much less abundant in the Neosho River System than in the Kansas River, the Marais des Cygnes River, or the western part of the Arkansas River System. Notropis topeka Gilbert: Topeka shiner. So. Fk. sta. 7, 8; Cedar Cr. sta. 3. This species was rare, and was confined to pools in the upper, smaller tributaries. Notropis volucella (Cope) : mimic shiner. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2; Cedar Cr. sta. 2. This is the unnamed subspecies referred to by Hubbs and Lagler (1941:59), Moore and Paden (1950:85) and Cross and Moore (1951:405). It was common at the one locality in the mainstream of Cedar Creek, but was scarce in the South Fork. Pimephales tenellus tenellus (Girard) : mountain minnow. So. Fk. sta 1, 2. Scarce. Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque) : bluntnose minnow. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8; Cedar Cr. sta. 1, 2, 3. Abundant in both streams. Pimephales pro melas con ferius (Girard) : fathead minnow. So. Fk. sta. 1, 3, 6, 7, 8; Cedar Cr. sta. 2, 3. Rare except at sta. 3 in Cedar Creek. Fishes of Cedar Creek and South Fork of Cottonwood River 311

The lateral line is complete, or nearly complete, in all specimens, and a single tuberculate male lacks tubercles on the chin. Cam postoma anomalum pullum (Agassiz) : stoneroller. All stations. Jennings (1942). Abundant. The number of scale-rows around the body, immediately in advance of the dorsal and pelvic fins, varies from 38 to 44, inclusive.

Ameiuridae lctalurus punctatus (Rafinesque) : channel catfish. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2. Jennings (1942). Young-of-the-year were common near the mouth of the South Fork, and angling for channel catfish is said to be good at many points along this stream. Channel catfish probably occur also in Cedar Creek, although we failed to obtain the species there. Ameiurus me/as catulus (Girard) : black bullhead. Cedar Cr. sta. 3. A single juvenile was taken. Ameiurus natalis natalis (LeSueur) : yellow bullhead. So. Fk. sta. 3, 6, 8; Cedar Cr. sta. 1. The yellow bullhead outnum- bers the black bullhead in these streams, but both species seem to be rare. Pilodictis olivaris (Rafinesque) : flathead catfish. So. Fk. sta. 1, 3. Fishermen state that they often catch flathead cat- fish in the South Fork. Noturus flavus Rafinesque: stonecat. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8; Cedar Cr. sta. 1, 3. The shale-strewn riffles of the South Fork provide ideal habitat for the stonecat, and it occurs in abundance throughout the stream. Schilbeodes nocturnus (Jordan and Gilbert) : freckled madtom.

So. Fk. sta. 1. A single specimen was taken in a riffle 3/4 mile above the mouth of the South Fork. Schilbeodes species. So. Fk. sta. 1. This madtom, which has been called S. eleutherus (erroneously), is being studied by William Ralph Taylor. It was abundant in riffles at the confluence of the South Fork and the Cotton- wood River, but was not taken in the South Fork above its mouth.

Centrarchidae Micro pterus dolomieui velox Hubbs and Bailey: smallmouth bass. A single specimen 77 mm. in standard length, in the Kansas State College Museum (K.S.C. No. 2998), is labeled as having been taken in Rock Creek, Chase County, by I. D. Graham (date not indicated). This seems to be the only specimen upon which Jennings's (1942) record of 312 The Kansas Academy of Science

Micro pterus punctulatus punctulatus could have been based, although it is labeled Micro pterus dolomieu. Characters diagnostic of M. dolo- mieui are as follows: dorsal rays X, 14; anal soft-rays 11; pectoral rays 16, 17; lateral-line scales 68, 71; scales above lateral line 12; scales below lateral line 19. Although subspecific identification of this old, but well- kept, specimen is inconclusive on morphological bases, it is referred to velox because other smallmouth bass from the Neosho River System belong to that subspecies. The smallmouth bass apparently has been extirpated in the South Fork. Micro pterus punctulatus punctulatus (Rafinesque) : spotted bass. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8; Cedar Cr. sta. 2, 3. Young-of-the-year and juveniles were abundant at nearly all stations. The South Fork is noted, among anglers, as a good bass-fishing stream, although some local residents state that their success now is not nearly so good as in former years. Jennings (1942) reported as Huro salmoides (Lacepede) six specimens from Rock Creek, Chase County, and Fall River, Greenwood County. After examining these specimens I identify four of them as M. p. punctulatus and two as M. s. salmoides. The specimens all have been placed with a single label in the same container, perhaps by Graham at a time when the spotted bass was not recognized as a distinct species, so that it cannot now be determined which specimens came from Rock Creek and which from Fall River. I think it likely that a few largemouth bass occur in the South Fork, but I do not include the species in this list because none was found among the hundreds of bass observed in 1952. Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque: green sunfish. So. Fk. sta. 1, 3, 6, 8; Cedar Cr. sta. 2, 3. The green sunfish is second in abundance, among panfishes, to the longear sunfish in the South Fork, but is relatively scarce and was represented in our collec- tions mostly by young-of-the-year. Lepomis humilis (Girard). orangespotted sunfish. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 6; Cedar Cr. sta. 1, 2, 3. Scarce. Lepomis macrochirus macrochirus Rafinesque: bluegill. So. Fk. sta. 6; Cedar Cr. sta. 1, 3. Rare. Lepomis megalotis breviceps (Baird and Girard) : longear sunfish. So. Fk. sta. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8; Cedar Cr. sta. 1, 2, 3. Common. Fishes of Cedar Creek and South Fork of Cottonwood River 313

Percidae Stizostedion canadense (Smith) : sauger. Jennings (1942). A single adult (K.S.C. No. 2910), obtained in 1885. Like the smallmouth bass, the sauger seems to have been extirpated in the South Fork, perhaps because of increased fluctuations of the water- level and higher temperatures and turbidities, unavoidably attending agricultural development of the watershed. Hadropterus phoxocephalus (Nelson) : slenderhead darter. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 3, 4; Cedar Cr. sta. 2, 3. Abundant on the larger riffles, absent from the smaller riffles in minor tributaries.

Percina caprodes carbonaria (Baird and Girard): logperch. So. Fk. sta. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6; Cedar Cr. sta. 3. Scarce.

Etheostoma spectabile pulchellum (Girard) : orangethroat darter. All stations. The orangethroat darter was abundant on riffles throughout both streams.

Etheostoma flabellare lineolatum (Agassiz) : fantail darter. So. Fk. sta. 1, 3, 5, 6, 8; Cedar Cr. sta. 1, 2, 3. The fantail was the dominant darter near springs in the headwaters, but was greatly exceeded in abundance by the orangethroat and slenderhead darters in the larger, warmer riffles of the mainstreams.

Hybrid Notropis rubella X Notropis zonata So. Fk. sta. 4. Characters of zonata, the single hybrid, and rubella (listed in that order) are as follows: anal rays-9, 9, usually 10; position of dorsal origin—above pelvic insertion, slightly behind pelvic insertion, well behind pelvic insertion; distance from dorsal origin to tip of snout divided by distance from dorsal origin to base of caudal fin-1.0, 1.2 (intersects pupil of eye), 1.3 (intersects iris behind pupil); snout length in head length-4, 3.9, 3.6-3.8; body depth in standard length-4.44 4.8, 4.9, 4.8-5.3; color of peritoneum—black, dusky, silvery. The hybrid is intermediate in features of pigmentation which are distinctive of the two parent species, especially the width of the dorsal stripe; the degree of outlining of scale pockets by melanophores, and the development of the secondary lateral band characteristic of N. zonata. This hybrid combination has previously been reported by Moore and Paden (1950). 314 The Kansas Academy of Science

LITERATURE CITED

CRAGIN, F. W. 1885. Preliminary list of Kansas fishes. Bull. Washburn College Lab. Nat. Hist. 1 (3): 105-111. CROSS, FRANK B. and GEORGE A. Moore. 1951. The fishes of the Poteau River, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Amer. Midl. Nat. 47 (2): 396-412. GRAHAM, I. D. 1885. Preliminary list of Kansas fishes. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci. 9: 69-78. HUBBS, CARL L. 1945. Corrected distributional records for Minnesota fishes. Copeia 1945 (1): 13-22. Husus, CARL L. and KARL F. LAGLER. 1941. Guide to the fishes of the Great Lakes and tributary waters. Cranbrook Inst. Sci. Bull. 18: 1-100, figs. 1-118. HuBBS, CARL L. and GEORGE A. MOORE. 1940. The subspecies of Notropis zonatus, a cyprinid fish of the Ozark Upland. Copeia 1940 (2): 91-99, pl. 1. JENNINGS, DOLE. 1942. Kansas fish in the Kansas State College Museum at Manhattan. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci. 45: 363-366. MOORE, GEORGE A. and JOHN M. PADEN. 1950. The fishes of the Illinois River in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Amer. Midl. Nat. 44 (1): 76-95.